Means for raising water.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS KURTZ, or DENVER, COLORADO.

MEANS FOR RAISING WATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,600, dated. April 9, 1901.

Application filed J nne 26, 1899. Serial No. 721,829. tNo'moctel.)

.To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JULIUS KURTZ, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Raising Water; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for raising water; and it consists of an apparatus whereby the action of explosives directly above the water forces the water out of a conduit communicating with the bottom of the chamber in which the explosion takes place.

The invention consists, further, of certain features whereby the various functions incident to the Operation of the machine are antomatically accomplished, all as hereinafter explained, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section taken through my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken through the electrical igniting device, the parts being shown on a larger scale.

Similar-reference characters indicating corresponding parts in the views, and referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, let the numeral 5 designate a casing arranged to be plunged into the water 6. The bottom of this casing below the water is provided with an opening covered by a perforated strainer-plate 7 and normally closed by a valve 8. Located in this casing is an outlet-conduit 9, whose lower open extremity reaches to the bottom of the casing, its position being just above the valve 8. The upper extremity of this conduit protrudes through the top of the casing 5 and communicates with a chamber 15, from which lead discharge-pipes 10 and 12, between which is located an air-chamber 13, whose bottom Opens into the chamber and is located directly above the va1ve'14, which normally closes the opening forming the communication between the chamber 15 and the conduit 9. From the chamber 15 also lead two auxiliary pipes 16, (one only being shown,) communicating, respectively, with the main discharge-pipes 10 and 12.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 my improved apparatus is arranged to use gasolene or other suitable explosive liquid, which is sprayed into the explosion-chamber A above the water by the use of suitable mechanism resembling an atomizer construction and which will now be described. A pipe 17 com municates with the gasolene tank. (Not shown.) This pipe also communicates with a chamber 18 and is provided with a checkvalve 19, which allows the liquid to pass to the chamber 18, but prevents its return. The upper portion of the chamber 18 communicates with a chamber 20, from which leads a pipe 21, entering the explosion-chamber A and terminating in a small orifice 22 within said chamber A. Inclosed by the chamber 18 and the pipe 21 is an open-ended tube 23, one extremity of which is located directly in front of the spray-orifice 22. The chamber is connected with the bottom of a cylinder 24 by a pipe 25. The cylinder 24; is divided by a partition 26 into two compartments 27 and 28, which are connected by a conduit 29, having an air-inlet controlled by a check-valve 31. The conduit 29 communicates with the upper part of each of the chambers 27 and 28. From the upper portion of the chamber 27 leads an outlet-pipe 32, communicating with the explosion-chamber A. This pipe is provided with two check-valves 33 and 34, which allow the air to pass freely from the chamber 27 to the chamber A, but which prevent'its return.

Located in the cylinder 24 are two pistons 35 and 36, which are attached to a rod 37. The pistons 35 and 36 are located in the chambers 27 and 28, respectively. The rod 37 is arranged to slide freely in openings formed inthe partition 26 and the top of the cylinder. This rod protrudes through the top of the cylinder, and its exposed portion is provided with weights 38. A pipe 39 leads from the bottom of the chamber 28 to the top of the conduit 9. This pipe is provided with a check-valve 40, which allows the air to pass from the conduit 9 to the chamber 28, but prevents its return. This pipe 39 is also provided with a throttle-valve 41 for regulating the passage of air therethrough from the conduit 9.

The casing 5 is provided with an exhaustpipe 42, whose upper extremity protrudes from the casing, while its lower extremity projects beneath the water in the casing when the water is sufficiently elevated therein to automatically operate the electrical igniting device hereinafter described. The upper extremity of the exhaust-pipe 42 is controlled by a valve B, whose gravity is so regulated that when the explosion takes place in the chamber its force will close the'valve; but affer the explosive force has been spent the valve will return to a support 0, located within the valve-chamber, thus allowing the products of combustion to escape from the explosion-chamber.

Hung from the top of the casing 5 and located in the chamber A are two metal bars 43, whose upper extremities protrude from the top of the casing and are insulated therefrom. Each of these bars is provided with a number of interior projections 44. These projections are arranged in pairs, each composed of a projection on each bar, the two members of each pair being oppositely located. Resting on each pair of projections or contacts 44 is a collar 45, having a thin depending flange whose lower edge engages said projections, which are also thin. Hence there are two points of contact between each collar 45 and each pair of projections 44. Each collar electrically bridges the space be tween the members of each pair of contacts.

Passing through central openings formed in all the collars 45 is a rod 46, provided with-insulating-sleeves 47, located where the rod passes through the collars. These sleeves 47 are formed with flanges adapted to engage the collars to lift them from the contacts 44.

The lower extremity of the rod 46 is provided with a float 48. The upper extremity of this rod is attached to, but insulated from, a metal spring 49, which is electrically connected with one. of the bars 43 by a conductingwire 50. gage a stationary metal contact'51, which is connected with a wire 52, leading to one pole of a suitable electrical source. The other pole. of the electrical source is connected with the other bar 43 by a wire 53. Hence when the float 48, with its rod, is raised sufficiently to bring the spring 49 into engagement with the contact 51 the electrical current passes through both bars 43, provided any one of the collars 45 rests upon its contact 44. In use this casing 5 may be located in any place from which water is to be raised. It may be employed torid mining-shafts of water, to. remove the water from a leaking vessel, or to raise water for irrigation or any other purposes.

Assuming that the casing is surrounded by water to the required depth, the operation will be as follows: The valve 8 will open-in response to the pressure of the water, allow- This spring is. also adapted to ening the Water to enter the casing-chamber. The automatic operation of the apparatus may be started either by operating the pistons 35 and 36 by hand to supply the chamber A with a quantity of explosive mixture or the first charge of water may be driven out of the casing by exploding a cartridge in the chamber A. This cartridge may be inserted through an opening in the casing normally closed by a detachable cap 54. Assuming that the explosive mixture is forced into the chamber A by hand, an explosion will occur as soon as the float 48 is carried upward far enough by the water to break an electrical contact of the igniting device, causing a spark which will ignite the mixture-- This explosion drives the Water out of the casing-chamber through the conduit 9 and thence into the pipes 10 and 12, the water passing out of the pipe 10, which is the shorter of the two pipes. Preceding the escape of the water air is forced out of the conduit 9 into the air-chamber 13 and also through the pipe 39 into the chamber 28 below the piston 36, raising said piston; and also the piston 35 and the rod 37. As the piston 35 rises the gasolene is drawn from its source through the pipe 17 into the chamber 18. At the same time a quantity of air is forced through the pipe 3:2 into the chamber A. As soon as the pistons 35 and 36 have traversed their chambers through the action of the explosive force and the latter force is spent the weight 38 will cause the rod audits pistons to descend. The air belowthe piston 36 will be forced out through ashort pipe 56 into the pipe 32,which pipe 56 is controlled by a check-valve 57, allowing the air to pass into the pipe 32, but preventing its return. The air below the piston 35. will be forced by way of the pipe 25 into the chamber 20 and thence into the chamber 18 and through the pipe 21, whereby the gasolene in the chamber 18 is forced in the form of a fine spray into the explosion-chamher A, forming a highly-explosive mixture. As the water rises in the chamber it first raises the float until the spring 49 engages the contact 51. The circuit is then closed. As the water continues to rise the float carries the rod up and thespring 49 yields suificiently toall'ow the movement of the rodto lift the lowermost collar 45 from the contacts 44, cansing a spark at the point where the electrical contact is broken. This spark will ignite the explosive mixture in the chamber A and the resulting explosion will force the water out of the casing 5 through the conduit 9 and the pipelO. If the first spark shall fail to explode the mixture in the chamber, the water as it est-1,600

struction shown permits of only three sparks; but it is evident that the construction may be arranged to produce any desired number of sparks in succession without departing from the spirit of the invention. When this explosion occurs, the products of combustion escape through the pipe 42, Whose outlet extremity is provided with valve mechanism arranged to close suddenly under the immediate action of the explosive force, thus forcing the Water from the casing-chamber by way of the conduit 9 and the pipes 10 and 12. As soon as the force of the explosion is spent the valve will open and allow the products of combustion to escape, as heretofore explained.

The operation, as heretofore explained, will be successively repeated automatically as often as the Water rises high enough in the chamber to break the circuit and cause an igniting-spark.

It is intended that the pipe 12 should be several feet higher or longer than the pipe 10. These pipes may be a hundred or several hundred feet in length, and were they of equal height the pressure of the Water upon the valve 14 would be such as to require great pressure in order to open the said valve. To

' obviate this difficulty, I make the pipes of unequal height, and the result will be as follows: If the pipes are of considerable length, several explosions may be required to fill them to a level with the top of the shorter pipe. The next explosion will throw the water out of the top of the pipe 10 and will raise the water in the pipe 12 to a corresponding extent. After this explosion has spent its force the column of water in the pipe 12 will extend a number of feet above the top of the pipe 10, thus making the water heavier in the one column than in the other. Hence the greater pressure on the valve 14 from the direction of the heavier column will have a tendency to reduce the pressure on the valve and cause it to move easily from its seat in response to the explosive action from below, produced in the manner heretofore explained.

The chamber 20 is provided with a small outlet-orifice D for the escape of any gasolene that may overflow into said chamber. This orifice is controlled by a check-valve E, which checks the inflowing of air when the piston 35 is rising and confines the suction to the gasolene-pipe 17 exclusively.

It is evident that the cylinder 24 maybe and undoubtedly generally will be located at a considerable distance from the casing 5. As indicative of this feature the pipes 25, 32, and 39 are shown broken.

The conduit 9 is provided with an air-inlet opening 55, controlled by a check-valve 75, to permit the entrance of air after the explosion and cause the column of water in the upper portion of the'conduit 9 to fall downward into the bottom of the chamber.

The lower portion of the cylinder 24 is provided with an air-inlet opening 76, controlled by a valve 77 to prevent the exit of air during the downward movement of the piston. This inlet allows the air to enter the chamber 27 beneath the piston 35, thus breaking the vacuum and preventing a too-powerful suction, which otherwise might draw the gasolene or other explosive liquid up into the cylinder.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is The combination of a chamber having a valve-controlled inlet-opening in its lower portion, a discharge-conduit 9, whose lower extremity is open and located in the lower part of said chamber, a second chamber having a valve-controlled opening with which the upper extremity of said conduit communicates, one or more discharge-pipes leading upward from the second chamber, a cylinder divided into two compartments, a piston -stem arranged to slide in said chamber, a weight attached to said stem above the cylinder, two pistons attached to said stem and located in the respective cylinder-compartments, a conduit connecting the two compartments and having a valve-controlled air-inlet, a pipe leading from the upper part of the conduit 9 to the upper compartment of the cylinder, below the piston therein, a check-valve located in said pipe and arranged to allow the air to pass from the conduit to the cylinder-compartment, another pipe connecting the upper part of the first-named chamber with the other cylinder-compartment above its piston, a check-valve located therein to allow the air to pass from the cylinder-compartment to the 'said chamber, an atomizing apparatus connected with an explosive-liquid source, a pipe leading from the bottom of the lowermost cylinder-compartment to the said atomizing apparatus, which is also connected with the first-named chamber, the said apparatus being arranged to operate substantially as described, and means for igniting the explosive substance within the said chamber.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of'two witnesses.

JULIUS KURTZ.

Witnesses:

A. J. OBRIEN, N ELLIE G. DANIELS. 

